Sociology exam 2 vocab: education

Credential society

the use of diplomas and degrees to determine who is eligible for jobs, even though the diploma or degree may be irrelevant to the actual work.

Cultural transmission of values

the process of transmitting values from one group to another; often refers to how cultural traits are transmitted across generations; in education, the ways in which schoolstransmit a society’s culture, especially its core values

Functional literacy

refers to high school graduates who have difficulty with basic reading and math

gatekeeping

the process by which education opens and closes doors of opportunity; another term for the social placement function of education

Grade inflation

higher grades given for the same work; a general rise in students grades without a corresponding increase in learning

hidden curriculum

the unwritten goals of schools, such as teaching obedience to authority and conformity to cultural norms.

inclusion

helping people become part of the mainstream of society; also called mainstreaming.

Latent functions

the unintended beneficial consequences of peoples actions

mandatory education laws

laws that require all children to attend school until a specified age or until they complete a minimum grade in school.

manifest functions

the intended beneficial consequences of peoples actions

self fulfilling prophecy

Robert Merton’s term for an originally false assertion that becomes true simply because it was predicted.

social placment

a function of education, funneling people into a society’s various positions.

social promotion

passing students on to the next level even though they have not mastered basic materials.

tracking

the sorting of students into different educational programs on the basis of real or perceived abilities.